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Acting CDC Director Jim O’Neill is urging vaccine manufacturers to develop separate measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) shots, aligning with President Trump's recent suggestion. While proponents argue this could reduce side effects and increase parental choice, current U.S.-approved MMR vaccines are combination shots. No monovalent vaccines for these diseases are approved, and the CDC states there's no scientific evidence supporting a benefit to separating them. Merck, the MMR vaccine manufacturer, highlights that combination vaccines improve completion and compliance rates, while separating them would increase the number of injections for children.

Prepared by Olivia Bennett and reviewed by editorial team.